Direction Finding CDMA Handset from KDDI

Japan's KDDI and Okinawa cellular are to launch a new GPS enabled cellphone that can also tell which direction the handset is being pointed in addition to its physical location.

The NAVITIME system will display a map on the screen and the map will rotate depending on which direction the handset is being pointed in - so that the forward direction on the map is the same direction as the user is facing. It is achieving this using a built in electronic compass. The maps on the screen can be rotated in eight directions and enlarged three times from the default size. Users can also mark a location on the screen and then send that map as an email to a friend.

The handset can also tell you how to get to a "buddy" handset being used by a friend - guiding you to them through the onscreen maps. The phone has 24 games and ringtones can be downloaded from a list of 7,000.

The handset weighs 102 grams and is 47

Posted to the site on 27th February 2002